SHIMLA, July 23: Himachal Pradesh government today ordered probe into decision of the previous Congress government to allot a special quota of khair wood to a Sirmaur-based katha manufacturing unit at concessional rates and without approval of the cabinet.The announcement came from Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal after the state Assembly witnessed frayed tempers and the BJP members raised serious doubts over the deal. The government admitted in the House, durting question hour, that agreement signed with the firm Messrs Sagar Katha Ydyog just a day before the Dhumal ministry was sworn in after Virbhadra Singh had resigned from the office of the Chief Minister.Virhbhadra Singh, leader of the Congress Legislature Party who was present in the House, tried to defend the decision saying that then government had allotted 25 per cent quota to the unit because it was a mechanised unit like Messrs Mahesh Katha Udyog, which was already getting a quota higher than what was allotted to the new unit. Under earlier policy of the government Mahesh Katha Udyog was getting 5 per cent of the khair wood quota from the state forest corporation. He did not see any irregularity in the decision to allot 25 per cent quota to the Sirmaur-based unit.The issue was raised in the House by Rikhi Ram Kaundal, who later received support from Ravinder Ravi (BJP) demanding a high level probe into the then government decision, which he alleged was taken in a haste since next day BJP-HVC alliance was to take over the reigns of the government. He asked the government to scrap the agreement as previous government neither had taken a cabinet approval nor had a right to take a major policy decision.When agitated members continued to press for their demand, evenm after a detailed reply of Forest Minister Roop Singh Thakur, the Chief Minister intervened and declared that a thorough probe would be ordered into the whole matter.Giving chronological details, Dhumnal reminded Virbhadra Singh that he (former CM) himself had overruled his own notings on the file that matter be placed before the cabinet. He said the manner in which decision was taken to favour the unit and grant it concessions, it had raised serious doubts.Several Congress members made vain attempts to defend the previous government but Dhumal remained unconvinced with their arguments. Senior Congress legislator J.B.L.Khachi even cautioned the Chief Minister against ordering probe-after-probe into all decisions taken by the previous government and said same thing would get recoiled on this government.Provoked by the challenge, Dhumal said if that was the feeling, the government would not hesitate from ordering proposed inquiry into the deal.In reply to a question of Parveen Sharma (BJP), the Chief Minister supplemented Forest Minister Roop Singh Thakur and announced that the government would consider lifting of the ban on export of khair-wood and resin to enable the private producers to get good price outside the side.Forest Minister admitted that the government had total control over the resin and also export of the khair wood. Some contractors had been exploiting the local producers because of the ban, he admitted.Industries Minister Kishori Lal, in a written reply to the question of Rakesh Pathania, said it was true that during 1994 to 1998 some industrial units were taken out of negative list of industries to exempt them from the payment of the sale tax.Agriculture Minister Vidya Sagar in a written reply told Chander Kumar that the state government had already started crop insurance scheme for cereal crops in state except Lahul-Spiti.
